5 facts about your 5-a-day

20th February 2017

How much do you know about your 5-a-day?

We are constantly advised to make sure we eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each and every day, but how many of us actually know what that means, or how much fruit actually constitutes a portion? The following 5 tips are put together to help you gain a deeper understanding of your 5-a-day.

1) Beans, pulses and fruit juice all count towards your 5-a-day, however, they only count at 1 portion however many portions you eat.

2) A portion depends on the fruit or vegetable you choose. For example, ½ a pepper is 1 portion, however you must eat 2 plums for them to equal 1 portion of your 5-a-day.

3) Potatoes do not count as 1 of your 5-a-day. Whilst they are vegetables, the main nutrient in potatoes is carbohydrate, or starch. However, sweet potatoes do count as 1 of your 5 a day due to their high vitamin A content, as well as vitamin C.

4) An average sized adult should aim to eat around 400g of fruit and vegetables every single day.